Oliver Stone Speaks In Bangkok

[sabaijai]

Oliver Stone: bankers helped Hitler

Oscar-winning director adds to storm he kicked up earlier this month over his upcoming TV documentary, The Secret History of the United States

An education … Oliver Stone talking to students in Bangkok. Photograph: Sakchai Lalit/AP

Adolph Hitler was aided in his rise to power by western bankers who appreciated his tough line on communist agitators and worker power,Oliver Stone told reporters in Bangkok yesterday.

Following on from the comments he made to TV critics in Pasadena earlier this month about his upcoming 10-hour TV documentary on The Secret History of the United States, the film-maker said the German dictator had seduced the nation's military industrial complex with his ambitious promises.

In the Thai capital to deliver a lecture to high-school students on the role of film in peace-building, Stone said: "Hitler is a monster. There is no question. I have no empathy for Hitler at all. He was a crazy psychopath.

"But, like Frankenstein was a monster, there was a Dr Frankenstein. He is product of his era," he added.

The Oscar-winning director said his documentary, made in collaboration with two historians, was aimed at providing an analysis of 20th-century history that might be useful to Barack Obama. "What has America become? How can we in America not learn from Germany in the 1930s?" he asked.

The director of Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July is certainly no stranger to kicking up a storm in his four-decade long career, as he admitted himself earlier in the day, when he told about 300 students that 1991's JFK had been his most controversial film, due in part – he felt – to America's reluctance to accept that its head of state may have been assassinated by anyone other than Lee Harvey Oswald.

The film centred on claims by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison that the president's death was part of a massive CIA conspiracy which had framed Oswald in order to cover up its own role. Garrison accused Louisiana businessman Clay Shaw of having a central role in the assassination, but his theories were thrown out by a court in 1967.

"To this day, many key Americans in power are in total denial about this story," said Stone. "It is a national fairy tale.

"It's an amazing story and I did it," he said of the film. "I thought I would be respected for it, and I was lambasted in the establishment press. I was called a myth-maker, a propagandist. I didn't see it coming. I thought the Kennedy murder was safe."

The Secret History of the United States will be screened on the cable channel Showtime later this year.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/jan/26...-bankers-hitler

[sabaijai]

Although this widely circulated report implies that the quoted remarks were delivered at a Thai high school, they are in fact taken from a small press conference held at the Dusit Thani Hotel after the high school visit.

[brahmburgers]

I found it ironic that he is purported to have said, in a recent speech at FCCT (Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand) that "we are all living in "a dark time - darker than anything I've ever known in my 60-plus years".

....and then he goes on later to emphasize we should, "think about the positive and not give in too easily to the negative."

Somehow the two concepts don't quite mesh.

All in all, I've always liked Oliver Stone and his work. He's someone I wouldn't mind sitting next to on a long train ride - sharing stories, opinions.

I'd venture he's one of the five best movie directors living today.

Edited January 27, 2010 by brahmburgers

[granuaile]

I found it ironic that he is purported to have said, in a recent speech at FCCT (Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand) that "we are all living in "a dark time - darker than anything I've ever known in my 60-plus years".

....and then he goes on later to emphasize we should, "think about the positive and not give in too easily to the negative."

Somehow the two concepts don't quite mesh.

All in all, I've always liked Oliver Stone and his work. He's someone I wouldn't mind sitting next to on a long train ride - sharing stories, opinions.

I'd venture he's one of the five best movie directors living today.

I would love to meet Oliver Stone,.... I too think he would be a fascinating person.

Grace

[Portlandstone]

His movie Wall Street is and has been my all time favorite movie. I hear he is releasing a Wall Street II this Spring. However as a person he certainly doesn't seem all there. I simply can't figure out how a person who materializes engrossing movies is also someone I would likely have no respect for if I met face-to-face.

[Tejas]

I found it ironic that he is purported to have said, in a recent speech at FCCT (Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand) that "we are all living in "a dark time - darker than anything I've ever known in my 60-plus years".

....and then he goes on later to emphasize we should, "think about the positive and not give in too easily to the negative."

Somehow the two concepts don't quite mesh.

All in all, I've always liked Oliver Stone and his work. He's someone I wouldn't mind sitting next to on a long train ride - sharing stories, opinions.

I'd venture he's one of the five best movie directors living today.

It seems like he was stating what should be an obvious fact (living in a dark time) and warning people not to succumb to negativism (e.g., loss of hope). The only way out is to latch on to a positive vision and work to attain it. The alternative is barbarism.

He is my favorite director, by the way.

[gemini81]

I found it ironic that he is purported to have said, in a recent speech at FCCT (Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand) that "we are all living in "a dark time - darker than anything I've ever known in my 60-plus years".

....and then he goes on later to emphasize we should, "think about the positive and not give in too easily to the negative."

Somehow the two concepts don't quite mesh.

All in all, I've always liked Oliver Stone and his work. He's someone I wouldn't mind sitting next to on a long train ride - sharing stories, opinions.

I'd venture he's one of the five best movie directors living today.

It seems like he was stating what should be an obvious fact (living in a dark time) and warning people not to succumb to negativism (e.g., loss of hope). The only way out is to latch on to a positive vision and work to attain it. The alternative is barbarism.

He is my favorite director, by the way.

I liked the article too. My favorite director by a wide margin. Too bad some of us didn't get a role in the flick he was gonna do in Chiang Mai.

[Scott]

He could find some really interesting plot lines here in Thailand that's for sure.

[Johpa]

His movie Wall Street is and has been my all time favorite movie. I hear he is releasing a Wall Street II this Spring. However as a person he certainly doesn't seem all there. I simply can't figure out how a person who materializes engrossing movies is also someone I would likely have no respect for if I met face-to-face.

What an odd and rather oxymoronic statement. Are you implying that you lose personal respect for someone who you otherwise admire when their political opinion differs from that of your own?

[animatic]

His movie Wall Street is and has been my all time favorite movie. I hear he is releasing a Wall Street II this Spring. However as a person he certainly doesn't seem all there. I simply can't figure out how a person who materializes engrossing movies is also someone I would likely have no respect for if I met face-to-face.

What an odd and rather oxymoronic statement. Are you implying that you lose personal respect for someone who you otherwise admire when their political opinion differs from that of your own?

That implication does appear to be there...

[angiud]

Salvador, Platoon, Born on the 4th of July, Wall Street, Natural Born Killers.

Love them.

[Portlandstone]

His movie Wall Street is and has been my all time favorite movie. I hear he is releasing a Wall Street II this Spring. However as a person he certainly doesn't seem all there. I simply can't figure out how a person who materializes engrossing movies is also someone I would likely have no respect for if I met face-to-face.

What an odd and rather oxymoronic statement. Are you implying that you lose personal respect for someone who you otherwise admire when their political opinion differs from that of your own?

Movies are engrossing. The man is not.

What exactly is your point.

[TerraPosse]

Definitely someone I'd like to share some stories with over a few beers or so...

'Salvador' is my favourite movie and his documentary 'Comandante' is totally awesome too.

Same as some of the posters above...one of the best directors alive.

[khundon]

Great director and he employes Thais to work on his films.

[tigerboy]

I liked the article too. My favorite director by a wide margin. Too bad some of us didn't get a role in the flick he was gonna do in Chiang Mai.

That would of been the movie called "Pinkville" about the Peers committee. Yeah, I as looking forward to the chance to be part of that too. dam_n Screen Writers Guild strike!

Regarding the upcoming "The Secret History of the United States" , it sure sounds like an Antony C. Sutton plot line. I sure hope that Oliver can pull it off and doesn't get poo-poo'ed again by the media. 'Cause there's things goin' on that you don't know...

[moskito]

He made also Wall Street and Natural Born Killers, both movies far better than Platoon or Born on 4th of july in my opinion.

And has WAR not always to do something with big money? I just wonder why the thread here is still open and not escalated in the

meantime of the question WHO was/are the bankers behind Hitler or behind the US federal reserve...maybe the same?

There are good informations these days also on youtube about USAmericas military industrial complex, for example the last NORMAL President of the United States Eisenhower says

or with a little bit "action" here

for sure sooner or later someone will explain me where the difference is between the horror show Hitler have created and the ongoing horror the USAmericans create every day somewhere in the world....with the precious help of their English and some European "friends"

at least just one thing counts, the joo`s make enough money

Edited January 28, 2010 by moskito

[sharecropper]

He could find some really interesting plot lines here in Thailand that's for sure.

He can sometimes be found in Pattaya, seeking out those human interest stories and interesting plot lines. He was also approached to invest in a go go here once, again probably for background, but it fell through, lucky for him, as all the co-investors were subsequently ripped off (which probably would have added to the research value of the enterprise).

He has a great personal history and some superb films behind him.

[Stephen Cleary]

Oliver Stone's 1993 film, Heaven & Earth, was mostly shot in Thailand - in Mukdahan province in the north-east.

[sabaijai]

I liked the article too. My favorite director by a wide margin. Too bad some of us didn't get a role in the flick he was gonna do in Chiang Mai.

That would of been the movie called "Pinkville" about the Peers committee. Yeah, I as looking forward to the chance to be part of that too. dam_n Screen Writers Guild strike!

Regarding the upcoming "The Secret History of the United States" , it sure sounds like an Antony C. Sutton plot line. I sure hope that Oliver can pull it off and doesn't get poo-poo'ed again by the media. 'Cause there's things goin' on that you don't know...

In his Bangkok appearances this week, Stone claimed that Pinkville was cancelled because a hedge fund belonging to the chief financier of the film had failed and they had to pull out. I do remember that at the time the production was cancelled - at which point US$6 mil had already been spent on building a replica of My Lai outside Chiang Mai - everyone was saying the guild strike was behind it.

[Sisaketmike]

Definitely someone I'd like to share some stories with over a few beers or so...

'Salvador' is my favourite movie and his documentary 'Comandante' is totally awesome too.

Same as some of the posters above...one of the best directors alive.

I guess you like to see a lot of movies smokin' your leafes.....

[Shah Jahan]

I know why he comes to thailand

[zzaa09]

for sure sooner or later someone will explain me where the difference is between the horror show Hitler have created and the ongoing horror the USAmericans create every day somewhere in the world....with the precious help of their English and some European "friends"

at least just one thing counts, the joo`s make enough money

Quite easy to explain, actually. Though, a deeper understanding and interpretation is yet complex. The Americans and their friendly counterparts have been indoctrinated as the "good guys". Therefore, such continuous and similar activities, for the last century plus, are looked upon as benign and benevolent. Social engineering for the masses, historically speaking, has merit.

[bangon04]

Regarding the upcoming "The Secret History of the United States" , it sure sounds like an Antony C. Sutton plot line. I sure hope that Oliver can pull it off and doesn't get poo-poo'ed again by the media. 'Cause there's things goin' on that you don't know...

It's a relatively short and uncomfortable leap of logic to question who controlled the banking system which supported Hitler at that time...

[Tejas]

Regarding the upcoming "The Secret History of the United States" , it sure sounds like an Antony C. Sutton plot line. I sure hope that Oliver can pull it off and doesn't get poo-poo'ed again by the media. 'Cause there's things goin' on that you don't know...

It's a relatively short and uncomfortable leap of logic to question who controlled the banking system which supported Hitler at that time...

By "at that time," you mean prior to the mass murders of Jews? Prior to the "world war?"

I am sure there were many people who, "at that time," had no idea what Hitler was about or would become.

That is no excuse. I am just trying to put it in perspective.

Just one example, at one time the USA supported Saddam (later changed its tune.....but probably for financial reasons).

If the "banking system" continued to support Hitler after the atrocities, that is a story worth telling.